"Alfonzo is a guy we spent a lot of time on," Belichick told The Associated Press. "Obviously, the incident affected his draft position, but we researched it, we found out as much as we could about it."

Dennard struggled in one-on-one coverage at the Senior Bowl, but he was viewed as a smart, tough safety who could excel in a zone scheme. He surely would have been drafted Friday if not for the arrest.

"He's strong, he's a physical player," Belichick said. "Obviously, as an organization, we were comfortable with making the selection where we did."